Policy on the Award of Posthumous Degrees University of Hawai'i at Manoa

Purpose of the Award

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa seeks to extend sympathy and
compassion to families of deceased students near completion of their
degrees and to recognize the academic achievement of these students
who would have fulfilled the requirements of the degree. These actions
must also be balanced with attention to academic and institutional
integrity.

Criteria

Decisions on awarding of posthumous degrees will be made on a
case-by-case basis using the following criteria.

For the Posthumous Baccalaureate Degree:

The student was a senior in his/her final semester of coursework.
The deceased student was enrolled in courses that would have completed
the degree requirements at the time of death. The student would have
passed the courses with an acceptable grade, and would likely have
fulfilled the requirements of the degree.

For the Posthumous Graduate Degree:

For graduate degrees not requiring a research product, the student
was enrolled in courses that would have completed the degree
requirements at the time of death; would have passed the courses with
an acceptable grade, and would likely have fulfilled the requirements
of the degree.

For graduate degrees requiring a research product, the student had
completed all course requirements and was near completion of his/her
dissertation, thesis, or Plan B work; and the student's committee
found his/her paper to be of substantial work and worthy of the
degree.

Procedure

A formal request may be initiated by any of the following: a family
member, the student's academic dean or department, or the chair of the
student's graduate advisory committee. If the request is not made by
a family member, the family should be contacted and found to be
receptive of the possible award.

The student's academic department and appropriate student services
office determines whether the student would have satisfied all the
criteria required for the award.

The appropriate dean, the Dean of the student's academic department
or the Dean of the graduate division, in the case of a graduate
student, forwards the recommendation to the Chancellor.

The Chancellor will have final approval in awarding the posthumous
degree.

Upon approval, the Admissions and Records Office will be notified
and will record the award of the degree in the student's transcript.
Admissions and Records will also send a diploma to the student's
family and invite the family to send a representative to participate
in the commencement ceremony in behalf of the student. The graduation
application fee will be waived and the student's name will be listed
in the appropriate commencement ceremony program.